Category: News

My New Book: America vs. the Overclass

I’m very pleased to announce that my new book, America vs. the Overclass: How a New Elite Corrupted Our Nation and What We Can Do to Stop Them, (published by RealClear Publishing), will be out on June 30, 2026.
You can pre-order a copy now! 

I wrote it to bring to public notice some ideas from sociology and social-psychology, which have drawn my attention for many years.

The jumping-off point for my analysis of American culture, modal personalities, society, politics, is Sir John Glubb’s observation that, over the ages and across human cultures, the average life of dynasties, regimes and great nations has been 250 years.

This July 4th is the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, which my ancestor, Lewis Morris, signed.

My people are unhappy.  Our politics are destructive.  Our economy carries an unsustainable debt.  How many more years does our republic have left?

The book, in many ways, intersects with and carries forward the concerns of the Caux Round Table.  My suggestion for a revival of the American experiment in ordered liberty is for individuals to assume responsibility, to assume an office arising out of covenant.  Such personal covenantal dedication to a common good is the foundation for moral capitalism and moral government.  This requires a personal commitment of being inner-directed.

(Presenting Pope Leo a copy of the book last Saturday.)
My mentor in college, David Riesman, wrote about American inner-direction and its nemesis, other-direction, in his 1950 book, The Lonely Crowd.  My new book seeks, in part, to honor his work and also to thank him for his friendship those many years ago.Should you read it, I would be most interested in hearing your thoughts about my thesis and the facts that I bring forward to support its credibility.

Also, if you feel so inclined, please feel free to forward this email to colleagues and friends of yours you believe would be interested.

A flyer about the book can be found here.

April Pegasus Now Available!

A little belatedly, here’s April Pegasus.

This issue delivers three essays on differing topics, but with an overarching theme.  We have moral responsibilities beyond ourselves to our families, our communities and our nations.  In a world where the self, loneliness and an idea of doing your own thing have become more prevalent, these essays remind us of duty and responsibility – vital, core blocks to what makes a society and culture work and, ultimately, flourish.  We neglect these ideas at our peril.

As usual, I would be most interested in your thoughts and feedback.

Caux Round Table Now on LinkedIn!

The Caux Round Table is now on LinkedIn!  We actually created the page years ago, but have recently re-engaged with the platform.

We post on issues relevant to our work most Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

To join, please click here.

And please participate!

More Short Videos on Relevant and Timely Topics

Here are a few more short videos on relevant and timely topics.  They include:

–On War and Making Distinctions

–Steve’s Audience with the Pope

–Where is Morality?

–Where Are the Bounds for Selfishness?

All our videos can be found on our YouTube page here.  We recently put them into 9 playlists, which you can find here.

If you aren’t following us on Twitter or haven’t liked us on Facebook, please do so.  We update both platforms frequently.

Thirty-Five Percent Discount on Our New Book Redeeming Adam Smith’s Observations on Creating Wealth in This, Our Time of Most Worrisome Troubles

We are pleased to inform you that as a subscriber, you can receive 35% off our new book, Adam Smith and Modern Economics: Reclaiming the Moral High Ground.

This applies to both the eBook and hardcover.

The dramatic contribution of the book to the human journey is its dispositive refutation of socialism as a better alternative to moral capitalism in drawing forth and sustaining human agency – moral and economic.  When our moral sentiments are blended with our work and our investments, human capital and social capital synergize to create wealth, vocational opportunities and well-being.

To receive the discount, please click on the link above, then on “Purchase eBook” or “Purchase Hardcover,” then “Add Coupon” (found on righthand side) and add the code DGBCONF2 in the box.

The discount expires on July 31, 2026.

Please do purchase a copy.

Briefing Pope Leo XIV on the Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad to Respect and Protect Christians

Last week, I was in Rome for a brief audience with Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday morning and a meeting the next day with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state.

The audience with the Pope was to brief him on the covenants of the Prophet Muhammad, given more than 1,300 years ago to respect and protect Christians and Jews.

Informed by the astute guidance of Cardinal Silvano Tomasi, the Caux Round Table has provided good offices for six years now to an interreligious study of those covenants and to consideration of how they now provide our global community with a precedent for respectful and peaceful relations among the Abrahamic faiths in the Middle East and across the world.  Our study has led to the publication of four books and two most important academic articles by our Muslim colleagues.

We had met with the late Pope Francis, who had strongly endorsed our study, to inform him of our findings and conclusions and we had kept him closely informed of what we were learning from the study of ancient texts and histories.  Last week’s meeting with the Pope was our first opportunity to tell the new Pontiff about the Prophet’s covenants and their implications for our time.

Pope Leo was surprised to learn of the covenants.  I was quite impressed at how so very quickly he took into account 1) the implications of the fact that the Prophet Muhammad had given such favorable consideration to Christians and Jews and 2) the relevance of that precedent for interreligious relations – and the end of violent conflict – in our world today.

I closed our brief exchange by informing the Pope of the plans of our colleagues in Lebanon to work with leaders of the different religious communities to revive the practice of the Prophet Muhammad to give covenants, one faith to another, of respect and protection of the other in order to firmly establish peaceful and fruitful cross-community relationships for the years to come.  He smiled at me and nodded his head a bit as he thought about that prospect.

Here are a few photos of our meeting with Pope Leo from the Vatican Photo Service:


The next day, Cardinal Tomasi and I met with Cardinal Parolin to report on our exchange with the Pope and brief him on the proposed revival of covenanting in Lebanon:
The Cardinal was most pleased at the prospect and said that a ceremony at the Vatican to celebrate such covenant agreement would be most appropriate.

So, now our focus on the covenants of the Prophet Muhammad turns from study to action, action informed by study and piety and most necessarily, motivated by the most noble sentiments privileging peace on earth and reflecting good will to all humanity.

A Most Significant Anniversary

Two hundred and fifty years ago today, March 9, 1776, Adam Smith’s most influential book, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (more commonly known as The Wealth of Nations), was published.

To mark the anniversary and to honor the almost miraculous intellectual and so indirectly, the policy contributions of a great mind, the Caux Round Table has published, with De Gruyter Brill, a book of essays on the book:

To learn more and/or purchase a copy, please click here.

January 2026 Pegasus Now Available!

A little belatedly, here is January Pegasus.

Two hundred and fifty years ago this coming March 9, Adam Smith’s most influential book, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (more commonly known as The Wealth of Nations), was published.  To mark that anniversary and to honor the almost miraculous intellectual and so indirectly, the policy contributions of a great mind, the Caux Round Table is publishing, with De Gruyter Brill, a book of essays on the book.  As the editor, I wrote the introduction, part of which we include in this month’s issue.

Secondly, Michael Hartoonian writes about another monumental event which will be commemorated later this year – the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence – and how it relates to Smith’s work.

Lastly, we include our 2025 year in review (annual report).

As always, I would be most interested in your thoughts and feedback.